Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday called Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, after meeting Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, dpa reported. "Because of the merciless actions of the Assad regime 18,000 people have lost their lives and 40,000 refugees are in Turkey, 150,000 in Jordan and 20,000 in Lebanon", Erdogan said. But he added he would be against foreign intervention. "The Syrian people shall decide on Assad's destiny." Putin described his talks with Erdogan as "a good foundation for Syria's future".
